2021 - Race 18 Mexico

[Nitrodaze]

Either Bottas had zero awareness or just doesn't care about helping his team mate any more now that he has his contract with Alfa for next season. There was absolutely zero attempt to defend. I imagine Toto and Lewis must be pretty livid with him.

Signing Russell may well cost Lewis this years WDC.

It seems Mercedes did not have a plan for the start of the race. Bottas drove his own race, but it would have been credible if he had won the race in the process. He did not race for the team today. He raced for himself and finished 15th.

[F1nKS]

Either Bottas had zero awareness or just doesn't care about helping his team mate any more now that he has his contract with Alfa for next season. There was absolutely zero attempt to defend. I imagine Toto and Lewis must be pretty livid with him.

Signing Russell may well cost Lewis this years WDC.

I don't understand what Botta's (or Mercedes's) plan was to hold off Verstappen. Before the race, he was saying it was a team effort at the start, but it seemed that he did the exact opposite of what he should have done. He did prove he was the king of early breaking.

[airshifter]

I personally thought that Bottas stayed mid track expecting Lewis to get behind him then go outside. By the time he realized that Lewis was on his right, Max had the run and was moving before Bottas could cover him. It's easy for us to pick it apart in hindsight, but things are happening pretty quick on track.

Other than the start, no big changes up front. I was really expecting RB to pit Perez earlier and go for the undercut, but they went the other way. It was great to see him lead a lap in Mexico though. RB might have had a shot if they pitted with Lewis or the following lap, but in the end the newer tires didn't have enough left to really make a solid challenge.

Really the entire top 10 all had good drives today. Gasly is just quietly putting that car where it really doesn't belong. Sainz and Leclerc both had good races, and at least Ferrari rolled the dice on trying the position change hoping to catch Gasly. Kimi pulling points and sandwiched by two other WDC drivers. Lando overall had a decent race, and was at least in the points.

I think Merc should have had that start detailed out better, and it appears they were just winging it. I'm not sure if the RB could have made it past them if they stayed in front, as the track passing areas are more on the long straights were Merc has the speed advantage. Watching Bottas struggle to get by Danny Ric was telling of his race.


Great atmosphere at this race. I think the crowd there is one of the best of the season usually. And they rightfully lost their crap when Sergio was on the podium. Good on them, and Sergio.


On to the next one... things are still dicey and anything can happen.

[Fortitude]

FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO 2021 - RACE RESULT
05 07 Nov 2021 Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City

https://www.formula1.com/en/results....ce-result.html


DRIVER OF THE DAY: Perez gets your vote with popular home podium in Mexico
07 November 2021

Sergio Perez - 36.9%
Max Verstappen - 13.5%
Pierre Gasly - 7.4%

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...fEGsXeT27.html


'I wanted more, I wanted to win' admits Perez after making history with Mexico City podium
07 November 2021

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...QlxT5Obed.html


'It can turn around very quickly' – Verstappen insists he’s not thinking of the title despite dominant win in Mexico
07 November 2021

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...0xEtJ4bFu.html


Verstappen extends championship lead after jumping both Mercedes at the start to win in Mexico
07 November 2021

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...nwaJDT0j0.html


Video
RACE HIGHLIGHTS: Catch up on all the action from the Mexico City Grand Prix
07 November 2021

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...KrJdTEaVA.html

[Nitrodaze]

I personally thought that Bottas stayed mid track expecting Lewis to get behind him then go outside. By the time he realized that Lewis was on his right, Max had the run and was moving before Bottas could cover him. It's easy for us to pick it apart in hindsight, but things are happening pretty quick on track.

Not really, Bottas did not want to do that at all. It was up to Hamilton to tuck in behind him. All he had to do was hang on to the racing line. By moving right to the dirty side of the track to block Hamilton, he opened up the left side to Verstappen and consequently gave up the clean racing line on the left. Which invited Verstappen through.

Bottas is very experienced and he knew precisely what he was doing. He did not race for the team, he raced for himself and did his best to stymie Hamilton's charge on the right for fear of Hamilton overtaking him when his eye ought to be on Verstappen and Redbull. After all, he is not in the championship fight.

Whichever way you look at it, Mercedes would not be impressed with him. If he had won the race doing what he did, it would have been forgivable. But finishing 15th after gifting Redbull and Verstappen the lead from the start, would not go down well in the Mercedes garage for him.

He messed up, plain and simple.

After what we saw in Mexico, l think they should do an early swap with Russell. The way Bottas is driving could put both the constructors and driver championship at risk for Mercedes. He is now looking like a loose cannon. It is very unpredictable what he would do at the remainder of the races.

[F1nKS]

N
Whichever way you look at it, Mercedes would not be impressed with him. If he had won the race doing what he did, it would have been forgivable. But finishing 15th after gifting Redbull and Verstappen the lead from the start, would not go down well in the Mercedes garage for him.

I believe Toto agrees with you. He said that Bottas had "opened up the sea" for Max."

[Bagwan]

Not really, Bottas did not want to do that at all. It was up to Hamilton to tuck in behind him. All he had to do was hang on to the racing line. By moving right to the dirty side of the track to block Hamilton, he opened up the left side to Verstappen and consequently gave up the clean racing line on the left. Which invited Verstappen through.

Bottas is very experienced and he knew precisely what he was doing. He did not race for the team, he raced for himself and did his best to stymie Hamilton's charge on the right for fear of Hamilton overtaking him when his eye ought to be on Verstappen and Redbull. After all, he is not in the championship fight.

Whichever way you look at it, Mercedes would not be impressed with him. If he had won the race doing what he did, it would have been forgivable. But finishing 15th after gifting Redbull and Verstappen the lead from the start, would not go down well in the Mercedes garage for him.

He messed up, plain and simple.

After what we saw in Mexico, l think they should do an early swap with Russell. The way Bottas is driving could put both the constructors and driver championship at risk for Mercedes. He is now looking like a loose cannon. It is very unpredictable what he would do at the remainder of the races.

You may be angry with him for screwing up , but does that give you special insight into his thoughts ?

[Mia 01]

Both Toto and Lewis is tad disrespectful to Bottas. He is made the scapegot for the second loss in a row.

[denkimi]

Nobody is to blame for this los, verstappen was just way faster this time. Unless bottas took him out, he was always going to win.

[Nitrodaze]

You may be angry with him for screwing up , but does that give you special insight into his thoughts ?

I am not angry with Bottas. He is there to drive his own race and l get that. My comments are observations of how it might look for him, with how that race has concluded. My personal opinion is, he is needed more than ever to help the team in their title fights. What l saw at Mexico suggests his head is elsewhere. And any team in a closely fought championship battle would not want that from their second pilot.

But then l forgot you are very much anti-Mercedes or was it anti-Hamilton, l don't which one it is nowadays.